Evil As Humans, page 206
[You have always been quick-witted. How could you not have thought of this? But you don’t seem to care about it either. I have a strange feeling, as if it’s not right for me to be mad at myself, nor at you.]
[I’m worried.]
After typing those words, Yin Ren’s fingers paused for a moment. His strands of hair swayed gently, and the warm afternoon light flowed slowly through his black hair. Lord Ghost King sighed for a few seconds before resuming the movement of his fingers.
[I’m worried that our approach to love is off, and I don’t know how to do it. I’m supposed to be the one guiding you, as I understand social conventions better than you.]
Zhong Chengshuo blinked his eyes, reached out his hand, and slowly pulled the little device from Yin Ren’s hand.
[I can’t answer that.]
In the refreshing and sweet scent of osmanthus, he earnestly typed his response.
[I can only tell you that this experiment hasn’t been thoroughly analyzed yet. In theory, Lu Xiaohe’s “love” for her mother should not be weaker than Huang Jin’s “love” for Ding Lizi. I believe emotions are complex, and there are many variables in the experiment.]
[The “intensity of love” may be just one of the conditions. Until we have more certain conditions, you don’t need to feel discouraged.]
Zhong Chengshuo typed that sentence very slowly. Yin Ren couldn’t help but shift his gaze and look at Zhong Chengshuo, who was typing seriously.
Zhong Chengshuo was sitting on the side facing the sun. As the sunlight poured in through the car window, it cast a golden-brown hue on his black eyelashes.
“Are you trying to comfort me?” Yin Ren forced a smile, dissipating some of the confusion. However, it still lingered like a layer of dark clouds in his heart.
Zhong Chengshuo turned his dark eyes and shook his head firmly.
[This is science.] He emphasized seriously.
“Well, I hope I’m just overthinking.”
Zhong Chengshuo was still the same Zhong Chengshuo, explaining the situation with such rationality that it was exasperating. With important matters at hand, Yin Ren decided to set aside this mysterious emotional issue and focus on finding a solution on his own.
“Anyway, let’s focus our energy on the experiment… Huh?”
Zhong Chengshuo didn’t stop there; he seemed to have noticed something and started typing seriously again.
[Personally, I think it doesn’t matter if we choose the wrong way of love or if our emotional intensity isn’t as strong as others. In this aspect, I don’t need your guidance.]
[You are judging guidance based on human emotions as a benchmark, but we are not humans, and those benchmarks may not be applicable.]
After typing this sentence, a subtle sense of satisfaction appeared on Zhong Chengshuo’s tense face.
[Objectively speaking, we are each other’s only kind.]
“That’s true.”
Yin Ren was taken aback, then chuckled. Looking at the vivid satisfaction on Zhong Chengshuo’s face, for some reason, most of his distress dissipated in an instant.
“I didn’t expect it, Zhong Ge. You’re quite eloquent… Wait a minute.”
Yin Ren’s expression suddenly froze.
Evil As Humans Ch191
Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
* * *
Chapter 191: Shelf Life
Zhong Chengshuo stood in the kitchen, holding a slotted spoon, and for the first time in his life, he had serious doubts.
Since Yin Ren brought up the issue in the taxi, he hadn’t uttered a word. The moment he returned home, he opened the refrigerator door. Lord Ghost King leaned against the refrigerator partition with a deep gaze and focused on the inside of the refrigerator.
Zhong Chengshuo tied on his apron as usual, which had “Dangerous Person” written on it. Only now did he realize that someone had added an extra stroke to the apron, changing “Dangerous Person” to “Big Shot”*.
*Yin Ren added a line across (人) in person (人物) changing it to (大) Beast (大物) (transliteral would be “big thing”).
“……”
He glanced at Yin Ren, who was intimately close to the refrigerator, and silently adjusted the modified apron. He decided to make a lamb stew. Thirty minutes later, Zhong Chengshuo’s foam had been skimmed off ninety-nine times, but Yin Ren still had his head in the refrigerator. The aroma of the lamb drifted into the living room, but it didn’t seem to affect him.
Finally unable to bear it any longer, Zhong Chengshuo covered the stew pot and walked over to Yin Ren. Mimicking Yin Ren’s movements, he leaned forward and rested his chin on the refrigerator partition.
It was cool, but nothing special. Lately, they hadn’t been at home much, and the eggs were no longer fresh. Zhong Chengshuo’s gaze swept over rows of ingredients as he quickly calculated in his mind.
Two grown men squeezed in front of the refrigerator, creating a scene that defied description.
To the point that when Hu Tao happily crawled back to the living room, she let out a high-pitched scream. Only then did Yin Ren snap out of his daze and tilt his head slightly. “What are you doing?”
“Just see if you’ve noticed anything.”
Amidst the bubbling sound of the stew, Zhong Chengshuo focused on the inside of the refrigerator.
“…” Yin Ren pulled his head back and reached for two bottles of soda. “Let’s go to the sofa.”
Hu Tao looked at the two seemingly insane people, while floating silently on the ceiling. Yin Ren glanced at her, unusually not shooing her away. He squeezed onto one end of the sofa and made room for Zhong Chengshuo. “Come.”
Zhong Chengshuo didn’t even bother taking off his apron. He obediently sat cross-legged on the other end.
“Based on your current conjecture, the Other Side is like the ‘internet’ composed of the brains of countless organisms. The Elementals are like ‘programmatic’ creatures living within it. They have their own food chain and their own feeding criteria.”
Yin Ren struggled to make an analogy.
Zhong Chengshuo held the soda bottle tightly in his hands and nodded silently. On the other hand, Hu Tao’s expression became even more bewildered, and her neck was about to twist ninety degrees.
“One thing you mentioned earlier caught my attention. You said that human emotions can’t be used as a benchmark.” Yin Ren shook the soda bottle.
Zhong Chengshuo nodded more vigorously.
Yin Ren no longer leaned against the sofa. He leaned forward and placed the soda in front of Zhong Chengshuo.
It was apple juice soda that he specifically bought. Zhong Chengshuo didn’t like these overly industrialized products, whereas Yin Ren was the opposite. After negotiations between the two Primordial Elementals, they finally reached a certain consensus, compromising between taste and health.
The transparent bottle was adorned with vibrant packaging paper, and the ingredients were relatively simple and healthy. However, the shelf life was longer than that of freshly squeezed juice.
Yin Ren turned the side with the shelf life information towards Zhong Chengshuo. “Since human conditions cannot be used as a benchmark, why don’t we just forget about those subtle standards of love and affection… What if we look at it from the perspective of a Primordial Elemental?”
Zhong Chengshuo’s gaze was blank for a moment, then gradually became sharper. The next second, he turned his head to look at the refrigerator.
The refrigerator stood silently in its place, emitting an almost inaudible hum.
“Human bodies can be preserved for a longer time on the Other Side. When Gao Mengyu disappeared for a few weeks initially, she was just a little weak when she was rescued,” Zhong Chengshuo muttered to himself, holding the chilled beverage. “This is physical preservation.”
“But according to Jiao Lian, the human mind can’t last for long on the Other Side. Even strong-willed individuals will go insane after spending too much time there. Those people turned into furniture by Bai Yongji didn’t remain clear-minded for long.”
Yin Ren shook the soda in his hand, causing countless bubbles to escape from the juice.
“Even madmen have emotions, but it’s hard to determine the category of those emotions, right? Even if the body can be preserved, the quality of food will deteriorate. If it were me, I would want chilled soda—with a long shelf life and a consistent taste.”
But that was all he could think of. Yin Ren knew he had grasped the right clue, but he always felt like he missed something.
Zhong Chengshuo suddenly got up from the sofa. He quickly dashed into the bedroom and soon came back, holding his tablet in his hand.
“These are the people who didn’t meet the ‘good personality’ criteria.”
He directly grabbed Yin Ren and swiftly scrolled through the screen.
Several small gangsters had poor reputations, but they all had a peculiar commonality—
They only had one family member left.
Young siblings, parents with only one person remaining, or lone grandparents.
That street vendor, who was infamous for being stingy, worked from dawn until night, earning money for her deaf daughter’s surgery.
They also met the criteria of “love”.
“According to what you said, it’s indeed possible that it has nothing to do with the intensity of love,” Zhong Chengshuo said softly, sliding his fingertip across the screen. It stopped at the profile of Lu Xiaohe’s mother, “He Huan”.
“If it’s for the sake of ‘shelf life’, then all of this makes sense. Yin Ren, you thought I was dead. During that time, would you have gone crazy or wanted to die?”
“Huh?” Yin Ren was taken aback. “I just wanted to find your body, maybe go into seclusion for a few hundred years while holding you. But if you’re talking about really going crazy or wanting to die, I…”
“I would still live my life well, but I would always remember you.” Yin Ren pondered for a moment and gave a firm reply.
He really was past the age of
“You like me, but I’m not your ‘main reason to keep living’. You have much more experience than me, so you’re not that naive. Someone like you, if trapped on the Other Side, it wouldn’t necessarily be ‘love’ that supports you.”
Yin Ren pondered and couldn’t deny it.
Once thrown into the Other Side, he couldn’t say for sure if he would be one-third curious, one-third sorrowful, and one-third longing for Zhong Chengshuo, with the remaining reminiscing about various modern delicacies.
Zhong Chengshuo nodded.
“But these people are different.”
“The lives of these gangsters are a mess, and their loved ones are their only concern. That street vendor sacrificed her own life in exchange for her child’s health… Lu Xiaohe’s mother is seriously ill, and her concern for her child is her greatest support. Zhong Chengfeng truly loves her work and life; her faith comes from her love for ‘others’.”
“Huang Jin is even easier to explain. He had genuinely sought death. When Ding Lizi pulled him back, she, in a certain sense, became his obsession.”
Yin Ren’s eyes lit up as he tightly gripped the bottle. “That’s it! If these people were trapped on the Other Side, what would keep them clear-minded is undoubtedly intense ‘love’—long shelf life, high purity, perfect food.”
Zhong Chengshuo placed his tablet aside and picked up his bottle of apple soda, tapping it against Yin Ren’s bottle.
“Yes,” Zhong Chengshuo said as he adjusted his glasses. “But so far, it’s just speculation.”
“Indeed, but it can only be tested with different people, which is also difficult to verify.” Yin Ren deflated quickly.
“…Boring, I thought you were going to say something else.” Hu Tao’s voice echoed faintly from the ceiling.
“In the end, it’s still about the case; not exciting at all. Xiao Yin, come on, find something interesting for Sister to watch. It’s time for a break.”
“This case is quite important.” Yin Ren opened the juice and took a sip. The aroma of apples instantly filled his mouth, bringing a sense of refreshment.
“Huh? Is that how you put it?” Hu Tao floated closer, wearing a gossipy expression. “What case? What case? Can I go on a business trip? You haven’t called us recently.”
“Missing people case, which is likely related to the disappearance cases from twenty-eight… twenty-nine years ago.” Faced with Hu Tao, who had a contract with him, Yin Ren didn’t bother hiding it.
A peculiar expression of curiosity froze on Hu Tao’s face and her complexion turned somewhat grim.
“Oh, the cases from twenty-nine years ago.” Her tone was cheerful but slightly peculiar. “Those should be thoroughly investigated.”
After saying that, she brushed aside her overgrown bangs, and her dim eyes locked onto Yin Ren.
“Uh, I don’t really understand the Other Side and all, but if you want to obtain ‘intense love’, I might have a way.”
……
Dawn at the Haigu Public Security Bureau.
“Hey sweetie, Dad won’t be coming home tonight.” Officer Sun sent a voice message to his daughter, then vigorously scratched his head at his desk.
Since Shian mentioned “a little trouble,” there had been many challenging cases in Haigu. The cases themselves weren’t particularly sensational and solving them wasn’t difficult. The trouble lay in the fact that these cases always sparked a significant amount of online public opinion.
Several unemployed young individuals anonymously posted criminal threats online, then proceeded to splash sulfuric acid on fashionable girls in the city center. Another aimless hoodlum lurked in the commercial district alley and slit the throat of a young boss.
Nighttime assaults, random arson, homemade bomb injuries… one crime after another, all indiscriminate.
Although the cases were solved, the impact they brought couldn’t dissipate quickly. The negative influence didn’t diminish; instead, it grew larger. Just as they apprehended the inept acid-splashing imitator, another person emerged on the streets, slashing people. Seeing the situation gradually worsen, the pressure from higher-ups also increased significantly.
Officer Sun forcefully rubbed his face, feeling as if he had aged ten years.
“Everyone’s gone mad.”
He wearily patted the case files, unsure of what to do.
Compared to these inexplicable cases, previous incidents of bloody street brawls and domestic violence seemed “ordinary.” Judging by recent public opinion, many people no longer regarded the previous cases of harm to acquaintances as a big deal.
Not to mention that some cases were “contagious”. Allowing them to spread freely, causing panic and imitation. However, if the information was tightly controlled, suspicions of “covering up” would arise. Given the current state of public opinion, no matter what they did, people would find fault with it.
Unfortunately, the police force had been stretched thin recently, with each officer essentially doing the work of two. Officer Sun felt a throbbing pain in his head, and the cursor on his computer had been blinking after the word “proposal” for half an hour, yet not a single word had been written.
“This can’t go on. If we don’t handle it properly, who knows what Haigu will become…”
Officer Sun took a sip of strong tea, a tinge of blue appearing in his eyes.
“Lao Sun, something’s happened!”
Officer Sun almost choked on his tea, still halfway through drinking.
“What happened? Tell me!”
“There’s an incident at Haigu Junior High. A young girl was buried alive!” Another officer gasped for breath. “When she was found, she was still breathing and was rushed to the municipal hospital for treatment… Regardless of whether it’s murder or attempted murder, it’s our case.”
Officer Sun grabbed a handful of his hair and pounded it against the thick stack of case files.
“Damn it!”
At the same time, a red dot appeared in the upper right corner of his WeChat.
[Let Me See Your Heart: Dad, it’s alright. I can’t come back either. There are patients to save.]
[Let Me See Your Heart: One of my previous patients, a girl with congenital heart disease, claims she was buried alive.]
[Let Me See Your Heart: This is absolutely insane!]
Well, at least he could see his daughter.
Officer Sun stood up and put on his leather jacket. Just as he was about to leave, he paused and grabbed a handful of chocolate candies from the drawer.
……
Between his fingertips, Yin Ren held something resembling a chocolate candy with a complicated expression that was extremely delicate.
“…Is this progress in society? No, is this even considered progress?”
Sitting upright on the couch, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t answer him.
“I’ve heard from the Nightwalkers that it’s guaranteed to work,” Hu Tao assured, patting her chest. “It doesn’t harm the body, and apparently, it tastes good too.”
“Oh.” Yin Ren continued to observe the chocolate-like substance. “Safety certification from Shian is unquestionable, while certification from Sunken Society is undoubtedly problematic. As for what the Nightwalkers can certify, that’s truly a mystery. No one knows how effective it will be.”
This was the “intense love” that Miss Hu Tao highly recommended.
Following the instructions of this formidable Miss Hu Tao, the two of them went to the Ghost Market at night. They used up half of Yin Ren’s savings to buy a single pill. Considering the need to keep the progress of their investigation as discreet as possible, they probably couldn’t submit a reimbursement for this item.
Gazing at the object, Yin Ren felt a strange mixture of gain and loss in his emotions.
